How Technology and Compliance with Laws can impact Email Deliverability

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Technology

Emails are sent using an MTA (Mail Transfer Agent), which is essentially a piece of software that connects one computer to another to send email. In order for everybody to understand each other, a standard was established called RFC (Request For Comments) and every email in the world must be RFC-Compliant in order for the message to be delivered successfully. It doesn’t matter if the message is in English, French or Chinese, a successful transfer must include the following:
HELO/EHLO (introduction)
MAIL FROM:
RCPT TO:
DATA (body of the message)
QUIT (end of the message)
221 Goodbye

As is the case with most ESPs, sending multiple copies of the same message can be achieved within the same connection thus allowing you to send to multiple recipients at once. This is done by repeating the RCPT TO command several times within the same connection, but there are limitations. For example, some ISPs limit the number of recipients and can also limit the number of connections per IP within a certain timeframe, this process is called “throttling”.

Normally you don’t have to worry about this. Your email service provider will have a trained group of individuals who are looking after this for you.

Take away: If my computer doesn’t say the right things to your computer, there is little hope that you will accept my email.

Compliance with Laws

There are many aspects when it comes to email compliance, but for this list I am referring only to the one that will keep you out of jail. Sending commercial-based email has certain laws and breaking those laws is a criminal offence. It doesn’t matter what country you are in, it matters what country you are sending – To.